This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of McCormick & Company. All opinions are 100% mine.

My 6-year-old daughter has never wavered from her plan to be a baker when she grows up, so she spends a lot of time in the kitchen with me. She was so excited about the recipe from McCormick for their delicious Lasagna Formaggio, because it was a simple recipe she could make with just a little help from me. In fact, here she is to show you how to make it yourself! Scroll down for the full recipe and directions, plus a great giveaway from McCormick!

Directions

Next, in a separate bowl pour all of your Ricotta cheese, about 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella, both eggs, and all of your seasonings (garlic powder, Italian Seasoning, parsley, salt, and pepper). Your a spoon to mix until well blended. Because the mixture is soft, you won’t need to use a mixer – a simple spoon will work great.

In a separate bowl, pour out all of your pasta or marinara sauce. Add the water to your, now empty, pasta jar and replace the lid. Shake slightly to release any extra sauce, then pour into the bowl. Mix until well blended to slightly water down your sauce.

Grab a 13×9-inch baking dish and pour about 1 cup of sauce into the bottom. Spread evenly to cover the bottom of the dish and add 3 lasanga noodles on top.

The best part, in my opinion, is the Ricotta cheese mixture. You’ll want to spread about 1/2 of your cheese mixture on top of the noodles. Next add another cup of sauce, 3 more noddles, and then the remaining cheese mixture. Top with the remaining noodles and sauce, then cover with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

Cover your baking dish with foil and, once your oven is preheated, bake for approximately 45 minutes. Finally, remove your foil from the baking dish and cook an additional 15 minutes, so the noodles will become more tender.

Let cool for about 15 minutes before cutting. This will help your lasagna stay together a bit better. Serve and add additional sauce or cheese to top, if you’d like.

Win It

Prize

One (1) lucky In Good Cents reader will win a FREE McCormick Gift Set valued at $20.

This sponsored post was written by me on behalf of Cans Get You Cooking. Regardless of compensation, all opinions are 100% my own.

While my family loves fresh fruits and vegetables, we always keep a lot of canned food on hand, since it stays good for longer and it great to grab when creating quick family meals. That’s why it’s great to know that, according to the University of California, many canned fruits and vegetables have the same nutrients as fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables.

For great ideas on using canned food to create quick recipes and more about canned foods, make sure to follow Cans Get You Cooking on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter!

Taco Pizza Recipe

Ingredients

1 Can Del Monte Diced Tomatoes with Zesty Mild Green Chilies

1 Can Bush’s Black Beans

1 Packet Old El Paso Taco Seasoning

1 Pound Ground Beef

1 Cup Chopped Lettuce

1 Pizza Crust

1 Cup Shredded Cheese

Directions

Place the Pizza Crust on a pizza pan and cook as directed in the oven. While it’s cooking, cook the ground beef in a skillet and add the Old El Paso Taco Seasoning as directed. Once both are done, begin layering your toppings on your pizza crust and serve warm. Top with sour cream, guacamole, and.or salsa, if desired.

This sponsored post was written by me on behalf of Indiana Family of Farmers. Regardless of compensation, all opinions are 100% my own.

Summer is a great time to get out of the house and explore your town, but it can get expensive if you spending a lot of time away from home. One way we save money on our adventures is to pack a picnic. That way when the little ones get hungry, instead of hitting McDonald’s, we have less expensive healthier options within reach.

Packing the perfect picnic can be a form of art, since there are so many things to keep in mind. Will there be a picnic table or will you be balancing your meal on your lap? Is there a good chance the kids will have grubby little hands by the time your food is ready? And those are just a few.

Tips for Packing Picnics for Families

Keep it Clean! Kids get dirty easily. That’s part of the fun of adventures. Make sure to pack hand sanitizer and/or baby wipes if there won’t be somewhere nearby to clean up before eating. Don’t forget napkins or paper towels.

Don’t invite the bugs. Bugs can quickly ruin any picnic. The Indiana Family of Farmers recommends filling a spray bottle with 1/4-1/3 peroxide and filling the rest with plain tap water. Spraying this along your picnic surface will discourage bugs from joining in on your meal.

Pitch-In: If you are going with a group, instead of each family packing a picnic, work together. Assign each family something to bring to help divvy up the costs of food. This works even when it’s just two of you meeting at the park.

Keep it cool. Keeping your food cold is always a struggle. Did you know that cold food should be stored at 40°F or below? On hot days, I often freeze our drinks when heading out on hot days to help keep our food cold and ensure we have cold drinks when we’re hot. I also freeze any foods that don’t do well in heat or might melt, like chocolate, fruit snacks, and meats, so they’ll say good longer. Insulated picnic baskets or totes are always a great idea!

Avoid Spills. I can’t count the number of times my kids didn’t finish something and threw it back in the picnic basket, leaving it to spill and create a gross mess that isn’t easy to clean. When packing foods, think about what will happen after the meal is done. You may need to throw in a container with a lid or some Ziploc bags to make the after-meal mess less messy.

Keep it Simple. Do as much of the work as you can before you leave the home, because prepping meals outdoors is never easy. Plus, try to pack multi-use utensils and containers. Finger foods are always a great, simple picnic item!

Pack Backwards. Place your ice on the bottom of your picnic basket, then put your items that need to stay cool in next. The last thing you should pack is your tableware, which you’ll need before passing out your food.

I grow hair better than any man. In fact, if I shave in the morning, by evening I’m sporting a 5 o’clock shadow on my legs.

It always makes summer fun. Shaving daily does some damage to my legs, but not shaving daily means I’m a hairy mess. Plus, quick trips to the pool are nearly impossible and my kids never want to wait for me to shave.

I have an epilator, which I love, but it’s about as quick as plucking my leg hairs and when it it comes to the more sensitive parts of my body, like underarms and ankles, it’s more effective as a form of painful torture. For summer time, I wax and use the epilator just use it for touch ups.

I’ll be upfront. If you want to wax your legs, you have to be committed. At first, your legs won’t have that smooth, just shaved feel, because smaller hairs will be too short to grab. However, if you keep it up and stay committed, your hair will become lighter, softer, and grow back more slowly. Plus, eventually, you will get smooth feel when you finally get every little hair.

You can buy wax at the store, but it can be expensive and messy. For me, it never seems to work, but homemade sugar wax, when made right, does the job perfectly.

Sugar Wax Recipe for Hair Removal

Ingredients

2 Cups White Cane Sugar

4 TBSP Lemon Juice OR Vinegar

4 TBSP Cup Water

Baby Powder

Directions

In a saucepan, mix all ingredients, except the baby powder. The baby powder is for when you actually wax, so save that for later.

You can squeeze fresh lemons or use lemon juice concentrate for your lemon juice. Or, if you’re like me, and never have lemons on hand, vinegar works too. It just doesn’t smell as pleasant.

Stir the ingredients over high heat, until the mixture reaches a rapid boil. Once you reach a rapid boil, turn the heat down to medium-low and allow the mixture to simmer.

Depending on the sugar’s moisture level, your pan, and your stove, heating your sugar mixture can take anywhere from 6-25 minutes. However, you don’t want it to heat to quickly, so you want it to stop boiling and may even need to lower the heat to low. Just allow it to simmer, stirring occasionally.

Now you have a decision to make. If you prefer to use strips to remove hair, you’re aiming for a darker honey-color mixture. However, if you prefer to have sugar gel, which doesn’t require strips, you’re aiming for a dark amber color, so your mixture won’t be too sticky to use.

Before Waxing

You need to have hair to wax, so don’t shave for about 1-2 weeks before you wax. I know, it’s difficult, but it’s worth it.

To get your skin ready for waxing, scrub lightly with warm soapy water to open pours and remove dead skin. Otherwise you’ll end up doing more exfoliating, then actual waxing. You also want to get rid of any lotions or other products that might be on your skin.

Next, dry off, then dust your skin lightly with baby powder or corn starch to make sure your skin is nice and dry.

Once your’e ready, pop in your favorite movie, lay a towel on the floor and get ready for your husband to give you that, “Why in the world are you doing that to yourself?” look, because men never seem to understand.

Sugar Waxing with Cloth Strips

I prefer to wax with strips but it can be kind of messy, so it’s not for everyone.

You’ll need your mixture to be slightly warm to use cloth strips, but you don’t want it to burn you! If it’s been stored, you can warm it up a bit in the microwave. Typically about 45-60 seconds will be enough. It should be easy to stir, but not watery.

For your strips, you can often use scrap material. I cut up a scarf that was handed to me free at Race for the Cure. You don’t want to use stretchy cotton or towels, but an old pair of pants or button-down shirt would work perfectly. Denim works great and can be washed to be reused.

I added a bit too much, but you get the idea. It should be a thin layer.

Use a popsicle stick to apply the wax to your leg. You’ll want to brush the a light coat on your skin in the same direction as the hair growth. Now take a strip, and rub in the same direction you applied the wax. Make sure to leave room at the end to grab. Rub your hand over the strip in the direction of hair growth a few times to make sure it’s firmly attached.

Now for the hard part. Hold your skin taut, because it will hurt less and be quicker! Now grab the end of the strip tightly and pull quickly in the opposite direction of hair growth. The motion is more like peeling it back, then pulling up. You want to pull very fast and close to the skin. Pulling straight up or going slowly is more painful and less effective.

Repeat until you’re done. You can redo areas, but your skin will become more sensitive each time, so don’t over do it.

Sugar Waxing without Cloth Strips

Keep in mind, because I prefer to use cloth strips, the image above is a bit too light to be effective. You want to make sure you achieve a dark amber color. As you can see, it’s just a tiny bit too hard.

Using sugar wax without strips can get shorter hairs, but can be a bit more difficult. However, it’s also less messy.

To get started, you’ll need your wax to be slightly warm. If it’s been stored, heat it for about 5-10 minutes until soft. It should be about the texture soft taffy.

Get a blob of the sugar wax in your hand and roll it into a ball. Work it a bit in your hands to warm it up a bit more with your body.

Using the tip of your fingers, spread the wax on your hair in the opposite direction of hair growth. While you apply it, you should slightly pull the wax with your finger tips creating the feeling of pressure. It should feel like the paste is pressing against your skin. It’s not just laying on top of your hair. It should be sticking to your finger tips.

Like with cloth strips, pull your skin taut. Now use a very fast motion to pull the wax stuck to your finger tips in the opposite direction, the same direction as hair growth. You want to stay close to the skin and not pull straight up.

Repeat. One section of sugar wax may be used a few times. Just work it into a ball again. You can often use one peice about 2-4 times, depending on the size and consistency. Once a piece has been used completely, throw it away and get a new one.

Storage

Store any left over wax in an air-tight glass container. You may easily reheat to use later. You may need to add a little water, if your mixture is too hard.

Some of the links within this post are sponsored links. Please read our disclosure policy for details.

I’m loving the weather we’re having this spring, but since we can’t escape the snow today, we might as well take advantage of it. Today after shoveling the walks and building a snowman, we made snow candy for the first time. My kids loved it, especially since it’s so much fun to make!

You can use maple syrup or molasses to make snow candy. Each turn out a bit differently, but both are absolutely delicious!

Molasses Snow Candy Recipe

In a sauce pan, add molasses and brown sugar. Stir and cook until it reaches about 245 degrees Fahrenheit on your candy thermometer. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, you’ll want it to be well blended and bubbly.

Get a one casserole pan or two cake pans and fill them with fresh, clean snow.

Carefully pour the molasses mixture over the snow. Drizzle it all over in small strips and shapes.

Allow the molasses mixture to sit in the snow for a bit and harden. The snow cools the molasses, hardening it into chewy hard candy.

Once the molasses mixture is hardened, pull the candy up. It’s okay if it breaks, you’ll want it in bite size pieces anyway.

Break any large pieces into bite-size pieces. You can enjoy this immediately or place the pieces in a storage baggie or container. Store it in the freezer or the candy will melt into a gooey mess once again.

Like with the molasses snow candy, heat the maple syrup and butter in a sauce pan until it reaches 245 degrees Fahrenheit on your candy thermometer or is well blended and bubbling. Get a one casserole pan or two cake pans and fill them with fresh, clean snow.

Pour the maple syrup mixture over the snow. The maple syrup snow candy doesn’t harden. Instead, it melts the snow becoming a gooey sweet concoction, so plan to eat this immediately. In fact, it’s more like caramel syrup over ice cream, then hard candy. It doesn’t store well.

Use popsicle sticks, craft sticks, or spoons to eat the snowy maple syrup straight out of the snow.

Tips for Maple Syrup Snow Candy

If you’re feeling adventurous, you can simply go pour the maple syrup concoction over the snow outside and let your kids eat outside right out of the snow. Just don’t let them step in it and and then eat it! You can also pour the same mixture over ice cream, if you prefer, to create a maple syrup sundae.

Some of the links within this post are sponsored links. Please read our disclosure policy for details.